'Red Dust' rises at Miami film fest
8 April 2004
"Red Dust", the gripping suspense drama based on South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), won the coveted Audience Award at the Miami International Film Festival in March.
The film, which stars two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank ("Million Dollar Baby", "Boys Don't Cry"), Chiwetel Ejiofor ("Love Actually", "Dirty Pretty Things") and South African actors Jamie Bartlett, Marius Weyers and Ian Roberts, will be released in South Africa on 6 May.
"This award is indicative of the impact the film has on its audience", said producer Anant Singh. "'Red Dust' shows that through the TRC, South Africa was able to emerge victorious against the atrocities of apartheid and establish a harmonious, peaceful country, and we hope that 'Red Dust' plays a role toward conflict resolution around the world".
The directorial debut of Tom Hooper, "Red Dust" is based on Gillian Slovo's novel of the same title, with a screenplay by Troy Kennedy-Martin
("Italian Job", "Bravo Two Zero").
Shot on location in Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape and in Johannesburg, the courtroom drama explores the effects of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, one of the most significant healing instruments of South Africa's young democracy.
New York City prosecutor Sarah Barcant comes home to Smitsriver to represent the interests of the local community in a commission hearing for Dirk Hendricks, a former local police officer.
Key to Barcant's case is the testimony of Alex Mpondo, who was tortured by Hendricks. She hopes that Mpondo's account will force Hendricks to reveal the whereabouts of a missing man in the community, and bring others involved in the case to justice.
Mpondo, however, is uncomfortable with his position of victim and witness, and is reluctant to participate. He is now a promising politician, and fears not only reliving his painful memories of this time, but also facing the unknown truths that lie
within them.
"Red Dust" received critical praise at its world premiere at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival, with Canada's national daily, The Globe And Mail, describing it as "masterful, nuanced and engrossing", and the Hollywood Reporter saying that the film "serves as an example to all damaged peoples of how best to seek justice".
Since then, it has featured at festivals around the world, including the Cape Town World Cinema Festival, the Dubai International Film Festival, the Bangkok Film
Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival and the Human Rights Nights Film
Festival in Bologna, Italy.
"Red Dust", a Distant Horizon and BBC Films production in association with Videovision Entertainment and the Industrial Development Corporation, will be released in South Africa by United International Pictures.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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